Concentration determination apparatus and concentration determination method for detecting an absorbance of living body tissue based on a light intensity and measuring a concentration of a measured component contained in living body tissue

• US 9,332,936 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nishida, Kazuhiro, Amano, Kazuhiko, Shimizu, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): LaPage, Michael P
• Application Number:
  US14/667,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20150196234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1738 Optionally different kinds of measurements; Method being valid for different kinds of measurement

Abstract

A concentration determination apparatus in accordance with exemplary embodiments has a storage body and a temperature control plate. The concentration determination apparatus may also have a first and second input light guide and a first and second light receiving light guide, and an operational unit that contains an absorbance calculation device for calculating an absorbance of liquid and living body tissue and a concentration calculation device for comparing the absorbance of the liquid and the living body tissue.

Claims

1. A concentration determination apparatus comprising:

a storage body that holds liquid;

a temperature control plate having one surface configured for close contact to a living body tissue and another surface contacting the liquid;

a first input light guide configured for causing a first incident light to be incident on the storage body;

a first light receiving light guide configured for receiving a reference light transmitted through the liquid from the first input light guide;

a second input light guide configured for causing a second incident light to be incident on the living body tissue;

a second light receiving light guide configured for receiving a measurement light from the second input light guide via the living body tissue;

a photodiode configured for detecting a light intensity of the reference light and a light intensity of the measurement light; and

an operator comprising;

an absorbance calculator configured for calculating an absorbance of the liquid and an absorbance of the living body tissue based on the light intensity of the reference light and the light intensity of the measurement light, and

a concentration calculator configured for comparing the absorbance of the liquid with the absorbance of the living body tissue and calculating a concentration of a measured component in the living body tissue.

2. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is a liquid having a scattering characteristic.

3. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is water or liquid corresponding to body fluid.

4. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control plate includes a thermal conductor configured for causing the body temperature of the living body tissue and the liquid temperature of the liquid to be heat-exchanged with each other.

5. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage body further includes a reflector configured for reflecting the first incident light incident from the first input light guide to the first light receiving light guide.

6. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of light sources.

7. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage body further comprises a temperature controller that heats or cools the liquid.

8. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source; and

a spectroscopic device configured for dividing light irradiated from the light source toward the first input light guide and the second input light guide.

9. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorbance calculator is configured for respectively detecting the absorbance of the liquid and the absorbance of the living body tissue if a difference between the temperature of the living body tissue and the temperature of the liquid is within a predetermined value.

10. The concentration determination apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined value is 0.1 Celsius.